STA, February 17, 2018 –The Slovenian hockey team secured the second place in preliminary group B with a nail-biting shootout victory against Slovakia in PyeongChang on Saturday. Regulation score was 2:2.
It was an evenly matched game, with one team running the show at one point and the other at another. The score was tied throughout the first period, which ended with a power-play for Slovenia.
Getting into the second period with a player more in the rink, Slovenia took the lead early on with a goal by Blaž Gregorc. Slovenia scored a second goal on another power-play soon after, but then the tide turned.
Slovakia launched an offensive, bringing the score down to 2:1 on their first power-play in the match. The team continued with the offensive in the third period, tying the score in the 46th minute.
The teams kept things even until the end of regulation and throughout overtime, so the winner had to be decided in a shootout, giving the chance to Slovenia's goalie Gašper Krošelj to show off his skills.
Slovenia took an early lead with a goal by Rok Tičar, but things were evened out by Ladislav Nagy, who scored the penultimate penalty shot for Slovakia. Krošelj saved Slovakia's last attempt, with Žiga Jeglič sealing their fate with a goal in Slovenia's final shot.
Following an overtime victory against the US and a crushing defeat against the Russian team, Slovenia secured the second place in preliminary group B and thus the play-offs for a berth in the quarter-finals with today's victory. The team will play the next game on Tuesday.
